Holland lakes and Green Heart marinas

The lakes of Holland and Utrecht were left by peat digging: sheltered water for open boats, sloops and small sailing yachts, in the middle of the Green Heart.

The Loosdrecht and Vinkeveen lakes, the Westeinder lakes by Aalsmeer, the Kaag lakes by Warmond, the Braassemermeer and the Nieuwkoop and Reeuwijk lakes each stand on their own, linked by the Vecht, the Amstel, the ring canal of the Haarlemmermeer and the Oude Rijn. Most lakes are shallow; the Vinkeveen lakes, dug for sand, are deep and clear and popular with divers. Many bridges are fixed and low: a boat with a lowering mast or a sloop gets everywhere, a yacht with a standing mast stays on the big lakes.

Aalsmeer, Loosdrecht and Vinkeveen have the most harbours; Warmond, Breukelen, Kortenhoef and Rijpwetering the smaller ones. Leiden, Haarlem, Gouda and Woerden lie on the waterways in between, and Amsterdam and Utrecht are a day's trip away. This is the area for an evening on the water after work, for a first sailing boat and for rounds through the polders; for open water you take the Vecht to the Markermeer.

All 102 marinas in the Holland lakes and Green Heart sailing area, grouped by water, with facilities, number of berths and maximum boat sizes. Blue Flag: 17 · visitor berths: 39.